Minivans are utilitarian but today’s iterations are no longer glorified vans with seats. They come close to driving like sedans and the higher-end models are a step away from luxury status.
And there’s no finer example than the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica Pinnacle edition. For goodness sake, it’s now mom’s super-luxury limousine! When it hits dealerships in the Fall (coronavirus permitting), the announced sticker price might take your breath away but correspondingly so will the level of luxury features. Fact is, the Pinnacle doesn’t pretend to be a van for the masses. This is a road machine worthy of undertaking the longest of continental drives.
Brandishing one of the new leather and suede pillows, Mary Ann Capo, Senior Manager, Chrysler Brand Product, described the many upmarket features in the Pinnacle’s interior.
Tenerife, Spain - Automakers, over the past few years, have been choosing more and more remote parts of the world to showcase new vehicles.
In the past year, I have attended events in South Africa, Australia, Chileand recently Tenerife for the launch of the 2020 Audi RS Q8.
The RS version of the popular Q8 is now the top-of-range vehicle in the brand’s SUV lineup. Before we fire up the engine, a few words on the product development background.
To make this an RS model, Audi has plumbed in the same twin-turbo V8 engine used in other products inside the VW Group, like the Porsche Cayenne Turbo and Lamborghini Urus.
Looking into my automotive crystal ball, I see a number of reasonably priced Japanese cars with the potential to go up in value, not down.
And while you wait for their price to rise, these collector cars of the future should give you endless driving pleasure – that is, until you sell!
That’s how I started my collector car column back in 2013. I think it’s time to re-evaluate my choices and now I wish I’d taken more notice of myself. Ahem.
Now to be fair, I’ve not always been right so there’s a caution. In 1973, I recall talking to a man who had just returned to the UK from Australia. He told me about a car called a Honda Civic, which would make a Mini look ridiculous in comparison.
Spanish auto manufacturer SEAT (VW Group) is working to combat driver fatigue.
SEAT’s Xplora team, in conjunction with Eyesight Technologies, is developing advanced technology that studies a driver’s eyes and head movement to detect if they’re falling asleep or distracted. It uses an algorithm which analyses the eye openness, angle of vision, blink rate and head position of the driver, along with other visual attributes.
In the event it detects that the driver is drowsy, asleep or perhaps distracted by their mobile phone, it will trigger an alert. The technology can also identify the driver from previous trips and adjust the seats, mirrors, heating settings and other cabin features according to their personal preferences.
